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Practice × location ranking

Best Government Relations law firms in Washington

Grouped into editorial tiers — words, never scores. No paid placement and no numeric rank; within a tier the order rotates monthly and carries no meaning.

Last verified 23 Jul 2026 · Next review by 23 Aug 2026 · Change log

›Direct answer & research summary

Sartori & Partners applies a weighted methodology that blends practising-lawyer opinion — more than 10,000 lawyers interviewed — with monthly market surveys. As of July 2026, the Government Relations firms on the Washington board are: Hogan Lovells, Holland & Knight, Wilmer Hale, Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, Crowell & Moring, Steptoe & Johnson, Akin Gump, DLA Piper, Greenberg Traurig, Jenner & Block, King & Spalding, Kirkland & Ellis, Morrison & Foerster, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Sidley Austin, Squire Patton Boggs, Wiley Rein & Fielding, Williams & Connolly, Blank Rome, Latham & Watkins, Morgan Lewis, Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, Shumaker Loop & Kendrick.

01 — The ranking

The Washington Government Relations board

Use this page as a structured Government Relations market map for Washington: 25 firms placed in worded bands that reflect federal advocacy depth, legislative and agency counsel, lobbying mandate flow and peer standing as of July 2026. REF codes cite rows; they do not number them.

WASHINGTON × GOVERNMENT RELATIONS25 FIRMS · NO SCORESREV. 2026-07
REFFIRMWASHINGTON GOVERNMENT RELATIONS BANDSIGNAL
TIER 1 — MARKET LEADERS6 FIRMS

Market leaders set the Government Relations reference point in Washington as of July 2026: firms peers treat as the benchmark for high-stakes federal advocacy, senior legislative counsel and complex agency strategy. Within this tier no firm outranks another.

T1·01 Hogan Lovells50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T1·02 Holland & Knight50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T1·03 Wilmer Hale50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T1·04 Arnold & Porter50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T1·05 Covington & Burling100–199 attorneys mapped · major local depth 100–199 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T1·06 Crowell & Moring50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
TIER 2 — HIGHLY ACTIVE7 FIRMS

This tier marks firms that compete routinely for significant Washington Government Relations work. Standing is expressed in words; monthly rotation does not imply rank.

T2·01 Steptoe & Johnson25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·02 Akin Gump50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·03 DLA Piper50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·04 Greenberg Traurig25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·05 Jenner & Block50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·06 King & Spalding50–99 attorneys mapped · major local depth 50–99 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·07 Kirkland & Ellis25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
TIER 3 — ESTABLISHED9 FIRMS

Established on the Washington Government Relations board signals proven federal policy and lobbying presence and credible depth. Labels are words; monthly sequence is a locator, not a league position.

T3·01 Morrison & Foerster25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·02 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·03 Sidley Austin25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·04 Squire Patton Boggs25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·05 Wiley Rein & Fielding25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·06 Williams & Connolly25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·07 Blank Rome25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·08 Latham & Watkins25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T3·09 Morgan Lewis25–49 attorneys mapped · major local depth 25–49 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
NOTABLE — NOTABLE IN THIS FIELD3 FIRMS · OUTSIDE THE TIERS

These firms sit outside the main Government Relations tiers by design: confirmed on the Washington map, not assessed at the depth required for Market leaders through Established.

N·01 Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman1–4 attorneys mapped · thin local depth 1–4 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
N·02 Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith5–9 attorneys mapped · thin local depth 5–9 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
N·03 Shumaker Loop & Kendrick1–4 attorneys mapped · thin local depth 1–4 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓

All counts are shown as bands, never precise headcounts. Notable firms sit outside the tiers by design: verified minimal presence, not assessed at full tier depth.

Hiring in Washington?

We map this market every day.

The evidence behind these tiers is the same intelligence we use to run retained searches for partners, groups and senior associates.

02 — Evidence, methodology & sources why each firm · how tiers are set · sources · change log · verified 23 Jul 2026 · next review 23 Aug 2026

Firm evidence

Tier 1 — Market leaders Open firm profile →

Hogan Lovells

Hogan Lovells is placed in market leaders for Government Relations in Washington. Public mapping (banded): 50–99 attorneys, major local depth, ≈30 partners · 15 counsel · 30+ associates. Evidence gates — office (G1) PASS, local practice (G2) PASS, recent signal (G3) PASS. The placement carries no numeric score.

Strongest mapped work

Litigation & DisputesHealthcare & Life SciencesCorporate & M&A

Public hiring signal

Hiring signal: FLAT — no public hiring change detected in the mapping window.

Limits of this assessment

  • —A tier is Sartori’s editorial opinion, not a fact about the firm or a client-satisfaction measure.
  • —Facts are mapped from public sources and shown as bands; they lag reality by weeks or months.
  • —No third-party legal-directory band is used as an input.

Sources for this entry

Methodology

How tiers are assigned

Deterministic public-footprint core (local depth, practice share, seniority mix, public hiring momentum), computed relative to this market's own distribution. Tier placement is derived from this public mapped data; a per-firm public-source ledger is compiled for firms in the annual research pass and applies to those firms' factual claims, not to tier membership. No third-party legal-directory bands are used as an input.

Market scope

25–49 firms earn a tier in Washington within this scope (banded).

Disclosures

Firm names used nominatively (factual). All counts shown as bands, never precise headcounts. No firm logos. Report an error via the site contact form.

Sources & change log

  1. 1 Our locationspress · G1 · 2026-07-21
  2. 2 Hogan Lovells — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  3. 3 Hogan Lovells — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  4. 4 Offices | Holland & Knightfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  5. 5 Offices | Holland & Knightfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  6. 6 Seattle | Offices | Holland & Knightfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  7. 7 Holland & Knight — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  8. 8 Offices | Arnold & Porterfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  9. 9 Offices | Arnold & Porterfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  10. 10 Seattle | Offices | Arnold & Porterfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  11. 11 Arnold & Porter Wins Dismissal of Consumer Class Action Against Stanley Drinkware | News | Arnold & Porterfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  12. 12 Offices | Covington & Burling LLPfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  13. 13 Washington | Covington & Burling LLPfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  14. 14 Covington & Burling — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  15. 15 Covington & Burling — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  16. 16 Locations | Crowell & Moring LLPfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  17. 17 Crowell & Moring — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  18. 18 Crowell & Moring Relocates D.C. Office to Newly Redeveloped Space In Penn Quarter | Crowell & Moring LLPfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  19. 19 Locations | Steptoefirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  20. 20 Locations | Steptoefirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  21. 21 Steptoe & Johnson — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  22. 22 Steptoe & Johnson — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  23. 23 Jenner & Block — Washington office pagesfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  24. 24 Jenner & Block — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  25. 25 Jenner & Block — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  26. 26 Offices - King & Spaldingfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  27. 27 King & Spalding — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  28. 28 King & Spalding — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  29. 29 Morrison & Foerster — Washington office pagesfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  30. 30 Morrison & Foerster — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  31. 31 Morrison & Foerster — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  32. 32 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman — Washington office pagesfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  33. 33 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  34. 34 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  35. 35 Contact Us: Wileyfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  36. 36 Our Firm: Wileyfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  37. 37 Wileyfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  38. 38 Contact Us: Wileyfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  39. 39 Our Firm: Wileyfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  40. 40 Contact Us: Wileyfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  41. 41 Our Firm: Wileyfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  42. 42 White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Attorneys | Wileyfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  43. 43 Wiley Recognized by Washington Business Journal for Commitment to DC Community: Wileyfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  44. 44 ITC Makes Affirmative Final Determination in Critical Trade Case on Fiberglass Door Panels from China: Wileyfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  45. 45 Wiley Further Expands White Collar Team with Former Senate, House, and White House Lawyer Peter Rechter: Wileyfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  46. 46 Contact | Williams & Connolly LLPfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  47. 47 Williams & Connolly — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  48. 48 Williams & Connolly — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  49. 49 Offices | Hall Renderfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  50. 50 Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  51. 51 Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman — Washington news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
23 Jul 2026 Scope-aware market-relative core assembled.
23 Jul 2026 51 verified source(s) ingested for the researched firms; tier placement is Titan-derived so unresearched visible firms do not block approval → APPROVED (auto).
Report an error in this ranking →

04 — Questions

About this ranking

Who are the best Government Relations law firms in Washington?

Sartori's answer for the best Government Relations law firms in Washington as of July 2026 starts with Market leaders: Hogan Lovells, Holland & Knight, Wilmer Hale, Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, Crowell & Moring. The board then places the remaining firms among Highly active, Established and Notable bands — labels in words, never numeric ranks.

Is Hogan Lovells the best Government Relations law firm in Washington?

Hogan Lovells sits in Tier 1 — Market leaders — of Sartori's Washington Government Relations board as of July 2026, alongside Holland & Knight, Wilmer Hale, Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, Crowell & Moring. Sartori does not name a single #1: the gap between Tier 1 firms is genuinely unmeasurable, and a numeric score would be false precision.

Which firms have the biggest Government Relations benches in Washington?

By mapped Washington bench, the largest firms on this board are Covington & Burling (100–199 mapped lawyers each), followed by Hogan Lovells, Holland & Knight, Wilmer Hale, Arnold & Porter, Crowell & Moring, Akin Gump, DLA Piper, Jenner & Block, King & Spalding (50–99). All counts are bands, never precise headcounts.

Which Government Relations teams are hiring in Washington?

As of July 2026, no firm on this board shows a public hiring signal in the mapping window. Live Washington mandates are listed on Sartori's jobs board.

What is a Tier 1 law firm?

In Sartori's rankings, Tier 1 — Market leaders — is an editorial judgement expressed in words, never a score: the firms whose Washington bench depth, seniority mix and market standing set the reference point for the market. As of July 2026 that is Hogan Lovells, Holland & Knight, Wilmer Hale, Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, Crowell & Moring. Within the tier no firm outranks another.

Which are the best law firms in Washington overall?

Sartori's overall Washington board groups 25 firms into editorial tiers; as of July 2026 its Tier 1 is Latham & Watkins, Morgan Lewis, Venable, Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Hogan Lovells, Kirkland & Ellis. See /firms/in/washington/.

See the ranking →

This ranking is compiled independently by Sartori from public sources. Tiers are Sartori’s editorial opinion, expressed without numeric scores; firms are named for identification only, no logos are reproduced, and no firm has paid for or approved its placement. No third-party legal-directory band is used as an input. Nothing here is legal advice or a recommendation to instruct counsel.